Mitt Romney holds a rally at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., on Monday. / Emmanuel Dunand, AFP/Getty Images

by Jackie Kucinich, USA TODAY

by Jackie Kucinich, USA TODAY

FAIRFAX, Va. â?? Mitt Romney's presidential campaign was scheduled to conclude Monday with a rally in Manchester, N.H., with thousands of cheering supporters and a performance by musician Kid Rock.

Now it will end in a steel town.

Romney will spend the final hours of the 2012 campaign rallying supporters in Pittsburgh and Cleveland -- Pennsylvania and Ohio being two states where some polls show the Republican nominee and President Obama in a close battle.

Romney adviser Stuart Stevens said there would be millions of volunteers helping Romney to get out the vote on Election Day, and Romney wanted to be able to be with and thank them in person.

But his last-minute change of plans is yet another sign of a tight election.

On his last full day of campaigning, Romney held five events in four states â?? stopping in airplane hangars in Sanford, Fla., and Lynchburg, Va., before heading to the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va. â?? where 8,500 supporters cheered inside the hall and 2,000 listened in from outside, according to the campaign.

There, Romney brought up the card-check issue. The legislation would change procedures to make it easier for workers to recognize a union. Pushed at the beginning of Obama's term, it was abandoned when it hit a dead end in the Democratic-controlled House. Obama was a sponsor of the bill as a senator.

"How about his plan to require companies to have unions whether the employees want to vote for them or not? Card check! Does that create jobs?" Romney asked as a part of his criticism of the president's policies.

"No," the crowd replied.

After the rally in Fairfax, Romney traveled to Columbus, Ohio, and planned to end the day in New Hampshire, the state where he launched his campaign in June 2011, at an 11 p.m. rally in Manchester.

As Romney spoke, the crowd chanted, "One more day! One more day!"

After the rally in Florida, Romney taped a video message that will air on Monday Night Football this evening.

Throughout the weekend, Romney reminded voters in key swing states the importance of not only voting themselves but getting their friends and neighbors to the polls as well. In Florida, the message was no different.

"Look, we have one job left, and that's to make sure that on Election Day â?¦ we make certain that everybody who is qualified to vote, gets out to vote," Romney said. "We need every single vote in Florida."

As he traveled from state to state, Romney was surrounded by close advisers â?? including his brother Scott Romney, longtime friend Bill White, senior advisers Ron Kaufman and Kevin Madden, strategist Russ Schriefer, Spencer Zwick and Romney's national finance director and policy director, Lanhee Chen, among others. His wife, Ann, joined him at the Fairfax stop.

Romney press secretary Rick Gorka said the mood in the front cabin was "light" and said there was "a lot of reminiscing."

"It's been an incredible journey," he said. "We are very, very, excited for these last events today (and) very, very, optimistic about our chances tomorrow.